All My Bags are Packed…

I’m ready to go.  I’m not really ready to go, but as I have been working on packing John Denver’s song has played through my head each time I look at my suitcases.  We do have some of our bags packed.  We met up with our team twice this week to fill our checked bags with supplies to take with us.  Currently in my living room I have four huge suitcases filled with hygiene packs, diapers, toilet paper, gifts for the children, books and other miscellaneous items.  We have nearly two hundred pounds of luggage and that is not even counting what we still need to gather and pack for ourselves!  Total, our team will be bringing 26 suitcases filled with supplies, with each suitcase weighing about 50 pounds.

The countdown is getting to the point where it might be more appropriate to use hours rather than days.  In less than 48 hours we will be arriving at the airport ready to officially begin this journey. That means I have less than 48 hours to pack for myself, do laundry, update my i-pod and finish up preparing to be out of town for awhile.

The past few days have brought a range of emotions from happy, to nervous, to excited, scared and everything in between.  I keep asking myself questions like will I be able to sleep on the airplane?  What will the food be like?  What if I get sick?  Lots of questions that really don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.  I really just need to continue to trust.  This is going to be good.

We got our itinerary for when we are in country which brought me to a whole new level of excitement.  I was looking through what we will be doing when we are there and I got to the end of the list and it read: Farewell Ceremony, hugging and goodbyes.  I haven’t even made it to Sierra Leone yet, but my heart already aches at the idea of telling the children and people goodbye that I will meet.

The encouragement from others in the last week has also been amazing.  Lots of prayers, support and questions from everyone around us.  I am so thankful to know that while we are halfway across the world people back home will be praying and thinking of us.  The number one piece of advice from people has been to take lots of pictures.  Because of this advice I have had a reoccurring dream lately about how it is time to head to the airport to go home at which point I realize that I forgot to take any pictures while we were in Africa.  In my dreams I have failed the people who told me to take lots of pictures.  I really don’t think that taking pictures will be a problem for me.  I was even able to convince Trent that it was necessary to purchase a new memory card for my camera.  I am 99.9% sure that I will have lots of pictures to share upon return!    

With all that said…I need to get busy!  The mix of the next 48 hours also includes Trent being out of town to help at a football camp in Missouri, a sister date and a birthday party.  And more packing.  Stay tuned…

{The Launes}

14 Days…

In exactly 14 days, Trent and I will be on a plane to Sierra Leone.  I can honestly say it doesn’t seem real yet.  I don’t think it will really hit me until I stop off the plane in Africa.  I am strangely at peace.  I am thankful for this and excited for everything that is to come.  We have been busy preparing little things over the last couple of weeks. 

First up, we mailed our passport and visa application.  I came back in the mail stamped by the Republic of Sierra Leone.

We have also been working on raising money for our service project when we are there.  We are going to be building bunk beds for the children in the orphanage.  Currently, many of the children are sleeping on the floor.  As crazy as it seems, the cost to make each bed is $250.  Since there are three of us going from my school, we organized a little breakfast and lunch treat day.  Our principal said it would be okay to accept free will donations and AGES staff is amazing!  We were able to raise over $400 toward the purchasing of materials for the bunk beds.  Joint efforts between everyone going raised over $7,500.  With the money we will also be able to purchase mosquito nets and some other supplies that they are in need of.

We also had our final conference call to go over last minute details.  I have my packing list and am excited to start getting things together and  buy some of the things we will need.  I am also looking forward to perfecting the art of packing everything I will need into a carry-on suitcase and backpack.

Tonight I watched a documentary on channel 7 about the doctors and nurses from Omaha that went to Sudan earlier this year.  It made my heart ache, but at the same time it also reassured me that we are making the right decision to travel to Africa. These people need us and while I’,m hoping to help them, I think they are going to have a bigger impact on me. 

{The Launes}

Launes to Africa…

2013 is going to be a big year.  Like go to Africa big year.  As unreal as it all seems to me, two months from tonight, Trent and I will be getting ready to board a plane and travel nearly halfway around the world to Sierra Leone, Africa.  In a way it’s been a long time in the making and at the same time it seems a little spur of the moment.  We decided to take this leap of faith in December, but didn’t officially get our application sent in until late January.  For some reason, when I think of a mission trip and Africa, I think of it as something that is planned out more than a year in advance.  But, it really is not. Not this one anyway.  Instead, it is a lot of trust and faith that we are calling on as we prepare to serve the Lord through this opportunity.

I have wanted to sit down and write about our trip and our planning so many times, but I just didn’t feel like I had the right words to describe what we are about to experience.  I still don’t feel like I have the right words, but I want to record this journey before it’s too late.  My goal is to update along the way.  I don’t really expect anyone to keep up with it, but if you are interested, be my guest!

Without going into a lot of detail, I will share the basics.
-We will be traveling with an organization called the Raining Season and staying at an orphanage in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
-We will be gone 10 days, leaving June 6th, 7th, or 8th.  Plane tickets will be purchased this week!
-We found out about this organization through my friend Sarah that I teach with.  Her husband has been twice before and we will all be going this time.  Another teacher at my school, Janet will also be going.
-Most of our time will be spent with the kids.  We will work to develop relationships with them in the short time we are there.
-We are hoping for the opportunity to help train teachers.  The schools in Freetown are not very reliable so the orphanage is wanting to teach the children on site.  We will also be doing community outreach such as visiting the local hospital.

That is not a lot of details, but honestly, I really don’t know what to expect.  I ask lots of questions, but at the same time, I think I’m better off not knowing every detail.  A little spontaneity will be good for me!

This is truly a leap of faith for me.  I am feeling very blessed with this opportunity, but also a little anxiety.  I will need a lot of prayer for peace of mind as I immerse myself in a culture like I have never experienced.  I am praying that God will use me and allow me to connect with the children at the orphanage and teach them about Jesus.

Hoping to update again soon…I will leave you with a picture of an envelope I got in the mail from my friend Amy.  I think I will pack it on our trip for when I need an encouraging reminder.

Until next time…

{The Launes}